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Associated Press
02-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
John Kennedy, Georgia's top Senate Republican, joins race for lieutenant governor
ATLANTA (AP) — John Kennedy, the top-ranking Republican in Georgia's state Senate, on Monday joined a growing field of GOP candidates seeking to become the state's next lieutenant governor in 2026. Kennedy, a Macon lawyer, is banking on the support of Georgia's business community after helping pass a law this year limiting lawsuits and civil verdicts. Burt Jones, the current Republican lieutenant governor, is expected to run for governor next year instead of seeking reelection. He's could announce his candidacy later this summer. Kennedy was first elected to the state Senate in 2014. Majority Republicans elected him president pro tem, the No. 2 position in the Senate, in 2023. Before that, Kennedy had been chair of the majority caucus and led the redrawing of legislative and congressional districts after the 2020 Census, securing Republican majorities. Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch of Dahlonega announced last month that he is running for lieutenant governor, saying he would model his candidacy on President Donald Trump. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery of Vidalia is raising money for a possible bid. Other Republicans could seek the office as well, including state Sen. Greg Dolezal, of Cumming. Kennedy didn't mention Trump in his announcement, saying his top priorities as lieutenant governor would be a strong economy, education and public safety. 'Georgians can be confident that my leadership will be focused on delivering conservative results, not empty rhetoric,' Kennedy said in a statement. 'And I know that by working together, we will keep Georgia growing, keep Georgia learning and keep Georgia safe.' This year, Kennedy sponsored a law that is meant to curb the number of student absences in schools. Like the onetime president, Kennedy's initials are JFK. But this 59-year-old Kennedy, born less than two years after the president was assassinated, is unrelated and bears the middle name of Flanders. Georgia's lieutenant governor presides over Senate sessions, but senators decide how much power the official has. When senators agree, lieutenant governors can be influential. As president pro tem, Kennedy already works with Jones to set the agenda for the Senate. On the Democratic side, the only declared candidate is state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs.
Associated Press
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Georgia Republican Steve Gooch launches bid for lieutenant governor
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch on Thursday launched his campaign for lieutenant governor, becoming the latest Republican to say he would model his candidacy on President Donald Trump. Burt Jones, the current Republican lieutenant governor, is expected to run for governor next year and could announce his candidacy within the next few weeks. Gooch, of Dahlonega, was first elected to the state Senate in 2010. He previously served as Lumpkin County's lone commissioner. He also earlier served as a member of the state Board of Transportation, which oversees Georgia's highways and other infrastructure. 'I see a Georgia that is the gold standard for our great country — a state that leads the way in securing our borders, stopping violent crime, abolishing the state income tax, and defending the values that make America great,' Gooch said in a statement. He called himself a 'die-hard MAGA supporter' having successfully sponsored a law this year creating an 'America First' license plate that will soon be offered to Georgia motorists. At a previous state Republican Party convention, Gooch touted the license plate as a way to show support for Trump. Georgia's lieutenant governor presides over Senate sessions, but senators decide how much power the official has. When senators agree, lieutenant governors can be influential. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery of Vidalia has already announced that he's running for lieutenant governor. Senate President Pro Tem John Kennedy of Macon has also been considering a run. Other Republicans could seek the office as well, including state Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming. On the Democratic side, the only declared candidate is state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Election rule changes stalled before Georgia lawmakers adjourned and ensured for 2026 midterms
Georgia Republican lawmakers will be on the clock next year to pass election legislation ahead of a busy 2026 election cycle.(file) For the first time since the post-2020 presidential election, Georgia Republican state lawmakers did not pass a bill during this year's session that included controversial changes to the way votes are cast or tallied. When Lt. Gov. Burt Jones sent senators home a little after 9 p.m. on April 4, it not only seemed to catch many senators off guard, but it also briefly left the House in disarray. The abrupt ending likely killed the main election bill's chances in 2025, raising questions about what new rules could be in place in time for the 2026 election year highlighted by races for governor, U.S. Senate, attorney general and all 236 state legislative races. The most significant GOP election bill for the session was among the dozens of bills left in limbo. It will still be active when lawmakers return for the second half of the two-year legislative cycle next January. The House adjourned before legislators were presented with a substitute version of House Bill 397 that cleared the Senate after the addition of several proposals such as expanding State Election Board powers and banning Georgia from participation in a multi-state voter rolls data sharing partnership. Instead, the House passed a resolution on the last day of the 2025 Legislature creating a study committee that will examine election rules later this year. The 2026 legislative session will begin with the House retaining control over SB 397 and Senate Bill 214, which would give voters the option of filling out ballots with pencils or pens instead of using electronic voting machine touchscreens when they cast votes at polling stations. The possibility of a switch to hand-marked paper ballots will be a topic later this year after House legislators created a study committee to review Georgia's Dominion Voting System's touchscreen system. The Coalition for Good Governance is warning legislators they shouldn't take further action to remove QR codes from being used in paper ballot tabulation. 'County election officials are now trapped,' coalition executive director Marilyn Marks said. 'They are legally prohibited from using QR codes after July 1, 2026 — but given no money or direction from the state on how to comply — a tab that could be more than $70 million according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Any attempt to install new hardware and software would need to begin in early 2026, and funding and acquisition of equipment would be required this year.' Sylvania Republican Sen. Max Burns led the Republican members of the committee to defer any consideration of hand-marked paper ballots until 2029. Burns has said the study committee this fall will begin planning out the transition to human readable text for paper ballots. The transition has been deferred from QR codes to human readable text for paper ballots. The possibility of a switch to hand-marked paper ballots will be a topic later this year after House legislators created a study committee to review Georgia's Dominion Voting System's touchscreen system. Sylvania Republican Sen. Max Burns sponsored SB 214, which would allow voters to request ballots similar to absentee ballots when they visit a polling place during early voting or on an Election Day. Leading up to Sine Die, the Coalition for Good Governance warned legislators against not taking further action to remove QR codes from being used in paper ballot tabulation. 'County election officials are now trapped,' coalition executive director Marilyn Marks wrote in a newsletter email. 'They are legally prohibited from using QR codes after July 1, 2026 — but given no money or direction from the state on how to comply — a tab that could be more than $70 million according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Any attempt to install new hardware and software would need to begin in early 2026, and funding and acquisition of equipment would be required this year.' Raffensperger has asked for legislators to implement a much less expensive software update instead of removing QR codes from ballots. The Georgia Republican Party and right-wing election watchdog groups like VoterGa have pushed for state election changes that will give the controversial State Election Board more autonomy over election rulemaking and administrative independence from the secretary of state's office. Three of the five board members are staunchly loyal to President Donald Trump. Democratic lawmakers have objected to HB 397's provision banning voters from dropping off absentee ballots on the final weekend before Election Day. Critics have also raised concerns about expanded election board rulemaking powers despite the bill proposing to prohibit rulemaking within 60 days of an election. Another contested section of the bill is over the plan for the state to transition from participating in the Electronic Registration Information Center, an organization that currently provides two dozen states a database to help maintain accurate voter rolls. 'They claim the rolls are littered with the names of people who have moved from the addresses on their registrations and are no longer eligible to vote, but ignore that the evidence they point to is often insufficient under our laws to trigger removal of voters from rolls,' Atlanta Democratic Rep. Saira Draper wrote as the legislative session was down. There will be a condensed window for next year for legislators passing new election rules that could be implemented in the time for a 2026 election cycle that begins with primaries in May. Draper has been outspoken about her being dismayed by the recent majority GOP legislature passing election legislation to 'assuage election denier concerns. 'We must always push back on narratives based on misinformation and fear-mongering,' she said. The State Election Board is set to meet Monday to hire a new executive director SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SINE DIE: Senate adjourns early as last day of Georgia legislative session comes to an end
The final day of the Georgia legislative has come to an end. The budget is the only thing state leaders were required to do this legislative session, and that nearly $38 billion budget was passed earlier in the day Friday. 'We are very thankful that you have yet again delivered a historic session for the people of Georgia,' Kemp told lawmakers. The Senate surprised everyone by adjourning around 9:15 p.m., while the House remained in session to finish its work. Afterwards, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones told Channel 2's Richard Elliot that he'd been planning to Sine Die the Senate early. RELATED STORIES: Kemp signs religious freedom bill into law as lawmakers scramble to get bill passed Lawmakers pass state budget with just hours left in legislative season Bill to fund historic battlefield preservation in Georgia heads to governor's desk Georgia lawmakers agree on school safety bill after Apalachee High School shooting 'We had all our priorities done and I've been saying all day, of course, I been leading up the last two days that we're going to adjourn early,' Jones said. On Friday morning, Kemp signed the controversial religious liberty bill into law to protect, he says, people of faith from unwarranted government intrusion. 'I think it's a commonsense piece of legislation that mirrors what the vast majority of states in the United States have done,' Kemp said. But Democrats insist that without an underlying civil rights law, which Georgia doesn't have, the bill gives people a license to discriminate. 'At the end of the day, those who will bear the brunt of this are not those in the majority. It'll be us, people in the religious minority,' state Rep. Ruwa Romman. The governor now has 40 days to sign or veto all the bills passed by both chambers. Here is a look at what bills have passed and which ones did not: Passed CHILD TAX CREDIT: Parents of children age 5 and under could claim a $250 state income tax credit under House Bill 136, which also expands the state income tax credit for child care expenses. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: State and local governments wouldn't be able to 'substantially burden' a person's religious freedom under Senate Bill 36, but opponents say it would enable discrimination. Kemp signed the measure Friday. INCOME TAXES: An already-planned state income tax cut will be accelerated under House Bill 111, giving the state a flat 5.19% income tax rate retroactive to Jan. 1. And Georgians will get income tax rebates between $250 and $500 under House Bill 112. HURRICANE AID: House and Senate members agreed to spend more than $850 million on aid after Hurricane Helene did billions of dollars of damage in Georgia in September. LAWSUIT LIMITS: Senate Bill 68 would make it harder to bring lawsuits and win large verdicts while Senate Bill 69 limits who can finance lawsuits. SCHOOL CELLPHONES: Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade would be banned from using cellphones during the school day under House Bill 340. TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Both Senate Bill 1 would ban transgender girls and women from playing girls' and women's sports, while Senate Bill 185 would ban the state from paying for gender-affirming care for prisoners. AMERICA FIRST LICENSE PLACE: Senate Bill 291 would create an America First license plate for Georgia vehicles. Did not pass PUBLIC RECORDS: A discarded version of Senate Bill 12 would have exempted Georgia state legislators and police departments from some requirements to disclose public records. LIBRARY CRIMES: Librarians in public libraries, K-12 schools and colleges could have faced prosecution for providing sexually explicit materials to minors under House Bill 483. GUN TAX BREAKS: House Bill 79 would have offered a four-day sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and safety devices, while offering income tax credits of up to $300 for paying for gun safety courses. CLARENCE THOMAS STATUE: The state would have put up a privately financed statue of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Georgia native under House Bill 254. ELECTED OFFICIAL PAY: Lawmakers abandoned a proposal to increase pay for statewide elected officials including paying Gov. Brian Kemp $250,000 a year. SPORTS BETTING: Georgians would have gotten a chance in 2026 to vote on a state constitutional amendment authorizing sports gambling under House Resolution 450. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia General Assembly passes bill banning trans athletes from women's sports
The Brief The Georgia General Assembly passed Senate Bill 1, the "Riley Gaines Act of 2025," which bans biological males from participating in women's sports in Georgia. House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Governor Burt Jones say the bill protects the integrity and fairness of female athletic competitions. Lt. Governor Jones praised the women and girls who contributed their stories to shape the legislation. The legislation is named after Riley Gaines, who has been very vocal after competing against and sharing a locker room with transgender athlete Lia Thomas. ATLANTA - In a significant legislative move, the Georgia General Assembly has passed Senate Bill 1, known as the "Riley Gaines Act of 2025." This bill, a priority for House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) and Lt. Governor Burt Jones, aims to ban biological males from participating in women's sports across the state. It passed on the same day as people across the country celebrated Trans Day of Visibility. What we know Burns expressed his support for the bill, stating, "The General Assembly sent a clear message—biological men are not welcome in girls' sports or spaces here in Georgia." He went on to say this is about maintaining integrity and fairness for female athletes and thanked the Senate and Riley Gaines for their support in championing this cause. "Today, the Georgia General Assembly made a historic step toward achieving a critical goal for this session, the protection of women's sports," said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. "I want to thank all of the brave women and girls who shared their personal stories and helped shaped this legislation. Their courage is commendable and ensures that the rights of female athletes are preserved and protected by law. I look forward to standing with Governor Brian Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns and female athletes with their families around the state when the 'Riley Gaines Act of 2025' is signed into law." Dig deeper The Riley Gaines Act is named after Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who has publicly opposed transgender participation in women's sports after competing against and sharing a locker room with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Senate Bill 1 is based on findings from the Senate Special Committee on the Protection of Women's Sports, created by Lt. Governor Jones. With its enactment, Georgia would join 26 other states barring trans athletes from girls' and women's sports. For more details on Senate Bill 1, visit the Georgia General Assembly's website. Every year on March 31, people celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility with marches, community gatherings, educational forums, and rallies against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. It was founded in 2009 by trans activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker as the joyous alternative to Transgender Day of Remembrance, a solemn day that honors victims of anti-transgender violence. These days, International Transgender Day of Visibility serves as a platform for highlighting transgender professionals, artists, educators, and activists who are making an impact in their communities. The Source The Georgia General Assembly announced the passage of Senate Bill 1 on March 31, 2025.
